Wednesday, November 4, 2009

This is another photo from earlier in September. I went out one Saturday morning to check on the girls and discovered a line up into the nest box. As one hen finished laying the next would hop in, push the first out and settle in to lay. We had 6 eggs laid within about 20 minutes, and no-one had a chance to sit and admire her work afterwards.

I wanted to post this photo because I hear about a lot of people making extra nesting boxes and finding their girls still only use one or two of them. Usually I will come home and find all of the eggs in one box. The girls only seem to use the second box when the first one is already occupied. You don't need a box per hen because they share quite happily.

Usually our girls lay one at a time throughout the day so two nest boxes is more than enough, but provides choice and a second spot if needed. In the photo above, the girl at the bottom left is hurrying up the one at the top left who has just laid.

1 comment:

I had only one laying box for quite awhile. When my sweety built one onto the side of the coop, we made it 2 boxes wide without a dividing wall,but with 2 entrance holes. They still all lay in one spot.Blessings,Lorilee